Adam Scott revealed that losing the lead role of David Fisher in Six Feet Under to Michael C. Hall left him so devastated he almost quit acting, but despite the painful rejection he pushed through and eventually found success in Severance, proving that heartbreak can lead to triumph.

Adam Scott, now celebrated for his acclaimed performance in Apple TV+’s Severance, revealed that he once came dangerously close to abandoning acting altogether.

During a candid conversation on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, the actor confessed that losing the lead role of David Fisher in HBO’s Six Feet Under to Michael C. Hall almost ended his career before it truly began.

“It was the one where I was like, ‘I might stop doing this,’” Scott admitted. “I think it’s time for me to read the tea leaves and walk away.”

The revelation stunned fans, given Scott’s now-impressive trajectory as both a comedic and dramatic performer. But at the time, in the early 2000s, the actor was still fighting for recognition in Hollywood.

Landing the role of David Fisher — the emotionally complex funeral director at the center of Alan Ball’s groundbreaking series — would have been a career-defining moment.

Instead, the part went to Michael C. Hall, a relatively unknown stage actor from Broadway who would go on to earn critical acclaim, including a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2002.

Scott explained that he and Hall both tested for the part, making the final cut before the producers ultimately chose Hall. “That hurts,” Scott admitted plainly.

“It’s good that I didn’t get it because it wouldn’t be nearly as good if I had done it because he was perfect and incredible. He’s incredible, and I wasn’t ready.”

Though Scott missed the role of a lifetime, fate still tied him briefly to the series. He later appeared in Season 2 of Six Feet Under as Ben Cooper, the short-lived boyfriend of David Fisher’s brother, which he described as “fun” but bittersweet.

“Michael [C. Hall] was lovely,” he recalled warmly. Still, the experience didn’t erase the sting of what might have been.

“That was a blow. That was hard. But it’s also important that you have those experiences.”

The blow was particularly painful because of what Six Feet Under represented at the time. Premiering in 2001, the HBO drama quickly became one of television’s most talked-about series, lauded for its bold storytelling, dark humor, and fearless exploration of mortality.

For Scott, watching the show’s immense cultural impact unfold was like witnessing the door to stardom close right in front of him.

“It was the show of the early 2000s,” Scott admitted. “It eclipsed all other shows.”

Yet, while the sting of rejection nearly pushed him to quit, Scott ultimately persevered.

His career blossomed in unexpected ways: a beloved stint as the earnest Ben Wyatt on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, acclaimed turns in indie comedies like Step Brothers and Party Down, and finally, his award-winning role in Severance, which has been hailed as one of the most inventive dramas of the streaming era.

Looking back now, Scott views the painful loss as a necessary step in his journey. “It’s good that I didn’t get it,” he reflected, crediting Hall for bringing a depth to David Fisher that he himself wasn’t ready to embody. “That was a painful learning experience, but those are important.”

Indeed, Michael C. Hall’s performance as David Fisher went on to define the role, winning critics’ praise for his nuanced portrayal of a closeted gay man navigating grief, identity, and family pressures.

Hall’s Emmy nomination cemented his arrival as one of television’s great actors, and his career later soared again when he led Showtime’s Dexter to cultural phenomenon status.

Meanwhile, Adam Scott’s path proved longer but no less rewarding.

Today, his Emmy-nominated role in Severance is considered one of the finest performances of his career, showing the world the dramatic chops that may never have been recognized had he quit acting out of frustration two decades ago.

His story resonates deeply in an industry where rejection is a constant companion.

What might have ended in heartbreak instead became a lesson in persistence — and a reminder that sometimes, the role you lose is the very one that prepares you for the role that changes everything.

“It was painful,” Scott concluded, “but I’m glad it happened the way it did.”